Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz held the first House hearing looking into the alleged abuse carried out against Jan. 6 defendants on Tuesday; he was joined by Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Ralph Norman (R-SC), Paul Gosar (R-AZ), and Troy Nehls (R-TX).
From The Washington Examiner:
The field hearing, titled the “Field Hearing on January 6,” heard testimony alleging widespread abuse on the part of law enforcement concerning the Jan. 6 riot itself and the treatment of those detained over their alleged involvement.
Among the defendants was Jeff Clark, a senior fellow with the Center for Renewing America; Ed Martin, the president of Eagle Forum Education & Legal Defense Fund; Geri Perna, the aunt of deceased Jan. 6 defendant Matthew Perna; Sarah McAbee, the wife of Jan. 6 defendant Ronald McAbee; Jan. 6 defendants Brandon Straka and John Strand; and journalist Tayler Hansen, who witnessed and filmed the fatal shooting of Ashli Babbitt.
Among the first testimonies was that of Geri Perna, who gave a tearful testimony detailing the circumstances under which her nephew, Matthew Perna, 37, killed himself following his conviction over nonviolent conduct on Jan. 6.
Geri Perna said her nephew was arrested for spending 14 minutes in the Capitol building on Jan. 6 and that the fallout from the incident had ruined his personal and professional life. She said those responsible for defending him in court had betrayed him.
“What followed was one betrayal after another from the moment Matt found out that the FBI was looking for him,” Geri Perna said. “He turned himself in. The agents said it would make it easier for him. That was a lie. He was told his clean record would count in his favor. It did not. He was told that having no affiliation with any organized group would help. That was another lie. Then he was told that he would most likely face a fine and nothing else. Not true either. His attorney said his sentence would be less if he made a deal and pled guilty to all charges. That was perhaps the greatest lie of all.”
Gaetz retweeted a video thread highlighting some of the hearing’s soundbites:
“So much of our work has uncovered things that initially were deemed conspiracy theories but we now have sworn evidence to prove.”
VIDEO THREAD: On Tuesday, Rep @mattgaetz held a field hearing about January 6 at the Capitol to scrutinize the day's investigation and aftermath.
"So much of our work has uncovered things that initially were deemed conspiracy theories but we now have sworn evidence to prove." pic.twitter.com/FgIcmlNPZg
— Ford Fischer (@FordFischer) June 14, 2023
More over at The Washington Examiner:
.@RepMattGaetz held a House hearing with Jan. 6 defendants and their families, during which they outlined accusations of abuse of power from the government.
Gaetz was joined by @RepBoebert, @RepMTG, @RepRalphNorman, @RepGosar & @RepTroyNehls. https://t.co/2eMCWcukcR
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) June 14, 2023